Spectator sports, particularly football, usually include a common pastime known as a “tailgate” party that is an activity where spectators gather for fun and recreation. Millions of people attend spectator sports on an annual basis such that the popularity of tailgating has become a national pastime. A tailgate party, or tailgating, usually requires picnic items, including tables, chairs, beverage coolers, etc. Such items are brought to a location of the spectator sport and usually carried in a vehicle as loose items. When at the location of the spectator sport, the loose picnic items are unloaded and set-up on tables for tailgate party activities. Such picnic items are later loaded back into the vehicle for transport after the tailgate party. The packing, transporting, unpacking, and repacking process surrounding the tailgate party is a cumbersome and time-consuming process.
Cargo carriers have been developed to assist in transporting items via vehicles. Such carriers are commonly adapted to couple with a trailer hitch found on a vehicle for external transport of items using the vehicle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,937 describes a movable frame assembly for storing and transporting items that includes a connection member for mating with a common trailer hitch and a frame member slidably attached to the connection member. The assembly is attached to the trailer hitch on a vehicle and is slidably movable, permitting outward extension away from the vehicle while still being connected to the vehicle. A storage container may be connected to the frame member.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,451 describes a hitch carrier that is removably mounted at a rear of a vehicle. The hitch carrier includes a frame assembly having a forward section configured for insertion in a hitch sleeve and a cargo unit attached to the frame assembly such that the cargo unit may be telescoped towards and away from the rear of the vehicle. The cargo unit has a hingeably mounted aerodynamic lid and includes handholds and a locking mechanism for locking the lid in a closed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,101 describes a ramp and cargo system that is removably attachable to a trailer hitch socket of a vehicle for loading and unloading a wheeled vehicle into the vehicle. The ramp and cargo system includes a ramp base, a first ramp member hingeably mounted to the ramp base, a second ramp member hingeably mounted to the ramp base, and a third ramp member hingeably mounted to the second ramp member such that the second ramp member and third ramp member may be folded onto one another.
The aforementioned cargo carrier systems provide general cargo carriers that are connectable to conventional trailer hitches mounted on vehicles and specifically permit access to the rear of the vehicles. A cargo container system is desirable that both assists in the organization of cargo items while simplifying the amount of items required to be packed and transported. Such a cargo container system is particular suitable for tailgate party applications or other recreational activities by minimizing the number of items required to be packed and transported to a desired location. More particularly, it is desirable to have a cargo container that may be simply assembled and disassembled to function as a transportable container while assembled and provide a table when at least partially disassembled.